#solarisstarter

for the past eight months, charlotte hadn’t had a single moment of privacy. there were always cameras watching - when she ate, when she slept, when she showered. she had given up any illusion of having a quiet moment to herself in favor of doing something crazy - of doing something wild. 

it wasn’t that she regretted it - by all means, charlotte loved the house, the people, the chaos that swirled around her day in and day out. she’d never been one for quiet anyways, not really, and there’d never been a secret she’d been able to keep. she was there, with her best friend, her face glowing at her from the screen on the beach - her voice echoing around her, her body shown off to cheers and laughter as she stripped down to hop into the ocean her first day. it was surreal, watching memories unfold in front of her life this - how they had tweaked, manipulated, made it worth watching. 

she just needed a moment. 

she squeezed maya’s hand, telling her she was looking for a restroom, but for the first time in as long as she could remember, a camera wasn’t on her, and she dipped under the ropes that surrounded their little party and found herself darting up onto the boardwalk, blending in with the people that were staring in avid fascination at the mtv blast put on display for everyone to watch, envious or awestruck or annoyed though they might be. 

charlotte needed some fucking cheese nips. 

“how far is the closest gas station?” she asked the first person who might not have noticed her face kept flashing on the screen beyond them. “i don’t have a car with me, can i walk there?” 

one of the perks of opening her own restaurant - besides setting her own hours and being her own boss - was almost definitely free access to the bar.

not that clara was by any means a huge drinker, besides a glass of wine or two with dinner or while she was out with friends, but sometimes, after a harrowing week or two or a particularly difficult shift she needed a little down time perched at the counter to take advantage of her status as the boss.

tonight was one such night - and luckily for her she seemed to have company for a change, if the person sliding into the barstool next to her was any indication, so at least she could feel like less of a lush.